


Holding Out For A Hero

by wedelia



Series: Shazam!/DCEU Crossovers [1]
Category: DC Extended Universe, DCU, Shazam! (2019), Superman - All Media Types
Genre: Aren't we all?, Canon Compliant, Family, Fluff, Gen, Pedro is low-key crushing on Superman, Surprises
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-07
Updated: 2019-04-07
Packaged: 2020-01-06 10:11:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18386342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wedelia/pseuds/wedelia
Summary: “So, Mr. Zaps-a-lot, what brings you to Metropolis? Shouldn't you be in Philly?”Billy clears his throat. “Well. I’m here to ask how you feel about helping me do something nice for your biggest fan.”Or, the one where Superman comes to lunch.





	Holding Out For A Hero

**Author's Note:**

> Writing this felt weirdly similar to writing the first couple chapters of my Spider-Man fic Blitzkrieg Bop, so if you liked this and also like stories about Peter Parker, maybe go check that out.
> 
> Side-note: how funny would it be if I followed in my own footsteps and this snowballed into a series about Clark and Bruce fighting over Billy? I bet that as soon as Bruce found out that Billy’s a fourteen-year-old kid whose name is Batson he’d be drafting the adoption papers. (I’m probably not going to write that, but if someone else wants to, you have my blessing!)

“Hi,” Billy says.

Then he thinks, _Billy, you dumbass. You couldn't have opened with something cooler?_

The man of steel—who Billy had just spent hours wandering around Metropolis as his hero alter-ego trying to find—shoots him a steely look while gently lowering a car that had skidded off a bridge. As the shocked passengers scramble out of it and hug each other, Superman crosses his arms and turns to Billy. His jawline is intimidatingly strong. “Can I help you?”

Billy gives a nervous laugh. “Wow, dude, this is crazy. You’re Superman! It’s an honor to meet you, uh, sir.”

A raised eyebrow.

Billy gets to the point. “Listen, I, um…I do have something you can help me with. One super to another.”

“I don't even know who you are,” Superman says. Which, alright, is fair.

Billy laughs again and runs a hand through his coiffed adult hair. “Neither do I, man, if I'm being honest. I’m still working on the hero name. You may have heard of me as Red Cyclone? Human Powerstorm? Maximum Voltage?”

Superman grins. “Oh, yeah, now I remember. You're Sir Zaps-a-lot. From YouTube.”

Billy winces. “I’m hoping that one doesn't catch on.”

Superman chuckles. He relaxes his stance, letting his hands drop to his hips and tilting his head back to look at Billy appraisingly. “So, Mr. Zaps-a-lot, what brings you to Metropolis? Shouldn't you be in Philly?”

Billy clears his throat. “Well. I’m here to ask how you feel about helping me do something nice for your biggest fan.”

“I’m listening.”

 

It happens exactly how Billy had imagined it. Like something out of a movie.

Freddy screams.

_Yes!_ Billy thinks, beaming. _Success._

Superman glances down at Freddy with a twinkle in his eye and winks. “It’s nice to meet you, Freddy. I hear you do good work managing superheroes.”

“You—nice—meet—too—it’s—” Billy gets to watch Freddy slowly self-combust under the weight of his own fannish enthusiasm, and it’s wonderful.

Those miserable few hours lurking around shady areas of Metropolis hoping to run into Superman are starting to seem more and more worth it.

Billy meets Darla’s eye across the lunch table and they share a thumbs up.

Superman puts a hand on Freddy’s shoulder. Freddy freezes, flushes bright red, and stares at the hand, overwhelmed, like he's seriously considering never washing his shoulder again.

“Are you alright there, son?” Superman’s voice is deep and concerned. He  _sounds_ like a superhero—it’s actually insane. He has the kind of voice that scientists would engineer in a lab if they had been tasked with creating the perfect voice for a man whose day job involves rescuing endangered fellow citizens and wrestling with super villains.

Billy would judge Freddy more for freaking out, but honestly, he kind of gets it.

(Later, when they're alone in their bedroom, Freddy will punch Billy in the arm and whisper-shout, “Superman called me son! _Son._ You dick! I can't believe you didn't warn me. I could have _died_ , Billy.”

“Of what?” Billy will ask. “Wish fulfillment?”

Freddy will scowl at him and say, ominous, “Or, I don't know, toxic shock.”

Billy will burst into giggles and say, “Dude. Isn't toxic shock a tampon thing?”

And Freddy will fling a pillow at him, shouting, “You know what I meant!”)

 

The lunch period eventually ends. Freddy stammers something about not wanting to be late for Algebra while staring up at Supes with such an awed expression that Billy’s surprised his eyes don't have hearts in them, and Superman—because he's a really decent guy who Billy owes big time for this—offers to walk him to his class.

Freddy looks like he's close to swooning. _Aw._ Billy can't help smiling at that. Freddy’s a stubborn, exasperating weirdo on a normal day (and that's okay, because he's _Billy’s_ stubborn, exasperating weirdo), but it's refreshing to see that right now, in addition to those things, he is also happy and flustered and excited.

Billy’s grateful for it. He decides that in the future he’s going to make an effort to give Freddy more reasons to be like this. That's what he deserves.

 

Over dinner, after they've all brought their hands in and then brought them out again, Victor cuts his vegan turkey into pieces and asks, casual, “So, did anything interesting happen at school today?”

Freddy laughs so hard that he snorts juice out of his nose. It's gross.

Mary, grinning, passes him a napkin, while Eugene leans in and explains in great detail and with many hand gestures what had happened: the dramatic build-up to Superman’s arrival, the surprise that had rippled through the cafeteria, the way each of them—except Billy, who had been in the bathroom at the time—had been bombarded for the rest of the day with questions about what Superman was like.

Pedro mentions something about how “swole” Superman was.

Darla flings an arm around an embarrassed Freddy and assures him, “It’s okay, everybody snorts sometimes. At least you didn't do that in front of Superman.”

Freddy looks like he wants to die at the idea of it.

Billy, pretending to be focused on his food, looks down at his plate and tries (and fails) to suppress a goofy smile. He feels something fond and warm and growing. He thinks he’s happy.

When he glances up again, goofy smile still in place, he catches Rosa's eye. She smiles back at him.

And, okay, Billy knows that he's a good person—kind of—but sitting here at a dinner table surrounded by his family, knowing that he’s the one responsible for having made them all so happy...it’s the first time he actually feels like that might really be true.

 


End file.
